Jewelry On Etsy JET Team Handmade Jewelry Artists

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Sunday, May 31, 2015

In today's edition of Sunday Style with the JET Team I’ve put together a couple of outfits in a fresh mint green color.

We start with an adorable vintage inspired dress(1) from LaVieEnSwing. There are lots of cute details in this 1940’s style dress, like the mandarin collar tied with a bow and the pockets on the skirt. Add some pinup style with back seamed fishnet stockings(2) from Awesomeseamstress.

Now we travel forwards in time to a mint jumpsuit(7) from KSclothing. I love the drape of this jumpsuit, relaxed but elegant. This would be a great dress alternative for a wedding. If you want the illusion of longer legs, wear heels with this outfit. But, if you want to be able to have fun and dance all night, choose some cute flat shoes(8) like the ones from QuieroJune!

Saturday, May 30, 2015

In this week's Whats on My Bench, we give a warm welcome to Michele of malves1009, as she reveals what she's been working on this week...

Instead of "What’s on My Bench" this is more like an episode of "What’s on My Dining Room Table"! I bought these beads back in March, and they have sat on my dining room table since then. I was inspired by their color, but didn't know what to do with them. All I knew was that I wanted to make something with a tassel, but not another bracelet...

The color I'm usually drawn to is purple, but this year I'm really in love with this blue-green color. One morning recently, I sat and said to myself "this has to be done today!", so I started to put the beads in an order. I like the rosary link look, but if I use just beads it will be very heavy to wear.

So, I divided it up and added chain - I've had those flower links forever, and thought they would be a nice accent for the tassel. After I put it all together I'm very pleased with the outcome, and I even had a few beads leftover to make matching earrings. I hope you like it too!

Thank you Michele - your necklace and earrings are gorgeous! Until next week!

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Today our super-organised JET Team member and businesswoman, Gaetana of SatinDollCo, shares the planning technique she now uses to stay organised and keep on top of her businesses...

If you are an avid user of Instagram, Facebook, YouTube or even Pinterest, then you'll know that 2015 is the year of the planner! My addiction with notebooks and planners started back in 2007, when I first started my business. This year it has fuelled to a whole new level, with social media publicising others like myself.

First, I found the perfect year planner from sugarpaper.com, who are on Instagram as @SugarPaperLA. Their planner is super affordable and cute compared to some of the others available, plus it can also be found at Target.

With planners taking over social media, a whole new business is developing around production of labels, stickers and so on. I've been finding more and more sellers on Etsy that carry these items, but having too much choice can be overwhelming. In fact, I got so overwhelmed and frustrated that I didn't purchase a single thing!

Then, last month, a light bulb went off in my head! I remembered a load of labels I'd purchased that were the wrong size, and were just collecting dust. So, I made a list of what labels and stickers I needed for my planner, and then made my own. Problem solved!

I was so happy with them that I couldn't wait to embellish my pages that first week! With several businesses and a very busy personal life, it's vital to stay organised. So my advice to all planner addicts like myself is - if you find yourself becoming overwhelmed, just do it yourself! Then buy some cute washi tapes, and you're good to go. Happy Planning!

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Happy Wednesday! This week in the JET Team kitchen, Michele of MAlves1009 shares her absolutely delicious recipe for carrot cake...

I had never made carrot cake before, as I figured it was difficult to make. And then I was invited to a get together with friends and family - I was asked to bring a dessert, and I knew they all liked carrot cake.

So, I thought I'd give it a try at last and - if it didn't work out - I knew I could always run and get something from the bakery!

For the Carrot Cake

2 cups of all purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

3 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

4 eggs

2 tablespoons milk

1¼ cups oil (I used canola)

¾ cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla

3 cups grated carrots

1 cup pecans or walnuts (optional - I used walnuts)

1 cup raisins (optional - I left these out as my family don't care for them)

¼ cup coconut flakes

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese softened

½ cup butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

To Make

In a bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg, then set aside

In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, 2 tablespoons milk, oil, sugars and vanilla until firm

Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix for about 2 minutes

Add the grated carrots, nuts and/or raisins. Mix well until everything is combined

Pour batter into floured cake pans - I used a double, but you can use any cake pan you like

Bake at 325 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, turning and checking after 20 minutes

While the cake is baking, make your frosting...

In a mixing bowl beat together cream cheese and butter until creamy

Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, and mix until smooth

Once the cake is cooled, add your frosting and sprinkle with nuts if you wish

To make sure I liked how this recipe turned out, I made a few mini cupcakes to taste. And I have to say, it came out really well!

When I walked in with the cake, everyone said "Oh, Carrot Cake! My favorite!", and they all loved it. I do hope you will try this recipe, and enjoy it as much as they did!